After only a year, G4TV is being shut down yet again.
The entire e-sports industry is in disarray these days, with Google and Meta just cancelling game streaming ventures. Tucker Roberts, son of Comcast C.E.O. Brian Roberts was adamant on resurrecting Comcast’s gaming culture-focused G4 network, which had been cancelled in 2013 to make space for the late Esquire network.
Tucker manages the Philadelphia Fusion e-sports team, which competes in the Overwatch League, and consults with Comcast Spectacor, the company’s sports and e-sports division.
However, Comcast’s action is also a slap in the face to junior Roberts. He had helped several of his friends obtain positions there, and the network had also handed Oliva Munn, who began her career on G4’s Attack of the Show!, a two-year, seven-figure agreement to promote and appear on G4TV, although it doesn’t appear she accomplished much of either.
Comcast declined to comment, and Munn’s representative, Marcel Pariseau, also did not respond either.
Gaming celebrities have far larger personal profiles and may consequently command exorbitant prices to appear on sites like G4TV.
There have been layoffs in recent months, and network president Russell Arons resigned in August, to be replaced by Tucker’s pal Joe Marsh, who oversees the network’s T1 e-sports venture — despite having no prior TV experience.
